1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus such as an image forming apparatus having: a web browser embedded thereon to display hypertext-coded information on a display; and a hypertext-coded data input/output module that can be accessed from this web browser or another web browser of an external machine, a data processing method for the image processing apparatus, and a recording medium having a data processing program stored thereon to make a computer of the image processing apparatus implement the data processing method.
2. Background Technology
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
Some of the image processing apparatuses such as multifunctional digital image forming apparatuses called MFPs (Multi Function Peripherals) are provided as web servers, or have a web browser embedded thereon.
With an embedded web browser, such an image processing apparatus is capable of displaying hypertext-coded information on a display of, for example, an operation panel, and accessing a web server when operated via a screen thereof. Meanwhile, such an image processing apparatus is also capable of being accessed from an external machine having a web browser, for example, a personal computer, via a network such as the Internet.
Therefore, users are allowed to access such an image processing apparatus to give an instruction to execute processing, from a web browser of an external machine such as a personal computer. Also, when coming to such an image processing apparatus, users are allowed to give an instruction from an embedded web browser thereof by operating an operation panel thereof. However, it always happens that what operation they require the image processing apparatus to perform often depends on whether the operation panel thereof or the external apparatus they operate when accessing the image processing apparatus.
In other words, the users are supposed to come to the image processing apparatus to give an instruction relating to input/output of a document, for example, a copy, scan, or facsimile-transmission instruction, by operating the operation panel. Meanwhile, they often check the state of the image processing apparatus, confirm print execution, perform various settings, or change the settings, by operating the external machine.
As suggested in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H07-110763, there is an edit apparatus that is capable of allowing users to easily customize their own user interfaces of an application. And as suggested in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-086611, there is an image forming apparatus that is capable of switching the language depending on the terminal that accesses the image forming apparatus.
However, the users always obtain the same operation screen, either on the operation panel of the conventional image processing apparatus having the embedded web browser, or the external apparatus, whichever they operate when accessing the image processing apparatus, despite what operation they require the image processing apparatus to perform often depends on it. That makes the user operability quite poor.
Therefore, the technologies in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. H07-110763 and No. 2004-086611 do not provide a perfect solution to the problems described above.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.